September 9th 2024.
As the new season of Strictly Come Dancing approaches, the stars of the 2024 line-up are addressing the controversies that have surrounded the show in recent months. One celebrity has even revealed that these controversies played a role in their decision to join the show.
With just a few days to go until the BBC officially launches the 20th anniversary of Strictly, the new batch of celebrities are eager and excited to compete. However, as the countdown continues, past stars of the show have faced allegations about their behavior behind the scenes.
Actress Amanda Abbington, who appeared on Strictly in the past, made claims about her former dance partner Giovanni Pernice, accusing him of being "nasty" and exhibiting "bullying" behavior. Pernice has denied these allegations. Another professional dancer, Graziano Di Prima, also faced accusations that he "kicked" his partner, Love Island star Zara McDermott. He has expressed regret for his actions and clarified that it was not intentional.
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As the launch show approaches, media outlets and fans are eager to hear from the stars of this year's series. The Agency recently had the opportunity to meet with the celebrities to discuss their preparations and find out who they will be partnered with.
One of the new contestants, 80s music legend Toyah Willcox, is taking the competition very seriously. When asked about the recent controversies surrounding the show, the 66-year-old shared that they made her think long and hard about the effort she would have to put in to compete. She stated that the show is 100% committed to dance and requires the contestants to push themselves beyond their own limitations. For Toyah, it was now or never, and she was fully committed to the show.
So, who else will we see on the Strictly dance floor this year? The star-studded line-up includes comedian Chris McCausland, EastEnders actor Jamie Borthwick, JLS singer JB Gill, Gladiators star Montell Douglas, DIY SOS star Nick Knowles, former professional footballer Paul Merson, former The Only Way Is Essex star Pete Wicks, BBC Morning Live's Dr Punam Krishan, former professional hockey player Sam Quek, actress Sarah Hadland, X Factor winner and Coronation Street star Shayne Ward, Love Island star Tasha Ghouri, Olympic swimmer Tom Dean, singer and actress Toyah Willcox, and Go Compare and opera singer Wynne Evans.
Many fans have noticed that there are only six women and nine men in this year's line-up. Sam Quek, the former professional hockey player, expressed her surprise at this disparity, jokingly saying, "Not many of us, only six!" However, she didn't think twice about joining the show this year and believes the talent team has selected the right mix of people for the show.
Quek also shared that her experience on the show has been incredibly positive and friendly so far. She believes it's the right time for her to compete and is enjoying every minute of it. With the recent allegations made against Pernice and Di Prima, the BBC has introduced chaperones to monitor the celebrities and their professional partners during training.
As the show approaches its 20th anniversary, Shayne Ward, who won The X Factor, will be competing next year. Nick Knowles, who also participated in the show in the past, shared that everything is in place to take care of the contestants both mentally and physically. With such a star-studded line-up and strict regulations in place, we can expect another exciting and entertaining season of Strictly Come Dancing.
As the launch of the new season of Strictly Come Dancing approaches, the stars of the show have taken some time to address the controversies that have surrounded the series in recent months. One celebrity in particular opened up about how these controversies influenced her decision to join the show.
With only a few days left until the BBC show officially begins, the new celebrities are eagerly preparing to compete. However, there has been some drama leading up to this year's 20th anniversary season. Former contestants have faced allegations about their behavior behind the scenes.
Actress Amanda Abbington, who was partnered with Giovanni Pernice, claimed that he exhibited "nasty" and "bullying" behavior. Pernice has denied these allegations. Similarly, professional dancer Graziano Di Prima faced accusations of mistreating his partner, Love Island star Zara McDermott. He has since expressed regret for his actions and clarified that he never intended to kick her.
In anticipation of the 2024 launch show, The Agency and other media outlets had the chance to meet this year's stars and hear about their preparations. One of the new contestants, 80s music icon Toyah Willcox, is taking the competition very seriously. When asked about the recent controversies, she admitted that they made her think carefully about the effort she would have to put in to succeed on the show.
"It made me take what's coming very seriously," Toyah explained. "This show is 100% dedicated to dance, and you have to push yourself beyond your own comfort zone. That's always been clear. For me, with everything that's happened this year, I thought, can I push myself beyond my own limitations? And for me, it's now or never. That's why I committed to the show."
As for the rest of the cast, it includes comedian Chris McCausland, EastEnders actor Jamie Borthwick, JLS singer JB Gill, Gladiators star Montell Douglas, DIY SOS star Nick Knowles, former professional footballer Paul Merson, former The Only Way Is Essex star Pete Wicks, BBC Morning Live's Dr Punam Krishan, former professional hockey player Sam Quek, actress Sarah Hadland, X Factor winner and Coronation Street star Shayne Ward, Love Island star Tasha Ghouri, Olympic swimmer Tom Dean, singer and actress Toyah Willcox, and Go Compare and opera singer Wynne Evans.
Some fans have noticed that there are only six women and nine men in this year's celebrity line-up. Sam Quek, one of the new female contestants, expressed her surprise at this disparity. However, she also stated that she didn't hesitate to join the show this year, as she trusts the talent team to choose the right mix of people.
Quek added that her experience on the show so far has been incredibly positive and friendly, and she is enjoying every minute of it. She believes that saying yes to Strictly was an easy decision, as it came at the right time for her.
In light of the allegations against Pernice and Di Prima, the BBC has announced that chaperones will be present in the training rooms to monitor the celebrities and their professional dance partners. This is a new measure that has been put in place to ensure the safety and well-being of all involved.
Next year will mark 20 years since Shayne Ward won The X Factor, and Nick Knowles expressed his confidence that everything is in place to take care of the contestants both mentally and physically. With the show's history of celebrating dance and pushing boundaries, it's clear that this year's Strictly Come Dancing will be nothing short of spectacular.
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